It’s major championship season as 88 golfers line up to play Augusta National this week for the 2023 Masters.
Mother nature is already trying to ruin the party with rain and cold temperatures in the forecast, but this course is also well-equipped to handle the elements.
Most weeks I take a look at a course-fit element that I deem noteworthy but this week I want to zoom out and look at overall performance in the majors. There are certain golfers that thrive in the tough setups on the biggest stage while others prefer the week-to-week TOUR setups, or shrivel in the spotlight. Let’s try to avoid the latter.
Big Game Hunting
When it comes to building a legacy, racking up major championship wins is a top priority. It’s what most golfers are remembered for when all is said and done.
As a result, you often see the true colors of a golfer when each major championship rolls around. It also gauges your mental skills.
Here are the top performers in adjusted strokes gained per round in majors, over the last two years:
Scottie Scheffler
Will Zalatoris
Collin Morikawa
Rory McIlroy
Jon Rahm
Jordan Spieth
Cameron Smith
Matt Fitzpatrick
Xander Schauffele
Hideki Matsuyama
Shane Lowry
Justin Thomas
Dustin Johnson
Corey Conners
Louis Oosthuizen
We can also look at performance versus baseline to see who shows the largest increase in performance compared to their typical scores:
Will Zalatoris
Collin Morikawa
Hideki Matsuyama
Brian Harman
Scottie Scheffler
Jordan Spieth
Francesco Molinari
Matt Fitzpatrick
Louis Oosthuizen
Brooks Koepka
Patrick Reed
Shane Lowry
Corey Conners
Si Woo Kim
Cameron Smith
Overlap List: names that show up on both lists include Will Zalatoris, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith, Matt Fitzpatrick, Hideki Matsuyama, Shane Lowry, Corey Conners, and Louis Oosthuizen.
Spieth is back at his happy place
The Texan is sixth in major championship performance in the last two years, so he’s able to elevate his game in the biggest events. That has always been the case at Augusta National where he has a win and four other podium finishes on his resume. He arrives with top 5s in two of his last three stroke-play events.
Conners to stay hot after a win
It’s very rare to find someone who wins the week before the Masters and then carries it over to win the Masters as well. We saw Phil Mickelson do it in 2006 but no other instances in the recent eras. A part of that is just the caliber of golfer that chooses to play the week before Augusta National. For Conners, he just won at TPC San Antonio and has proven he can contend at the Masters. He has top 10s in three of his five visits and should have a full tank of confidence after last week’s win.
